The BibleTruth.cc Torah Study Series

Parashat Mattot

"Tribes"

Bamidbar [Numbers] 30:2-32:42

tAJêM;

30:1 Mosheh said to the heads of the tribes of Yisrael: "This is what Yahuwah commands:"

The Hebrew mattot - tAJêM; - is variously translated as stick, staff, tribe.  The staff or flag of a people represented the family, and thus the "stick" stood for the tribe.

Theme

The theme of Parashat Mattot

Sedarim

Vows Made by Women

War Against Midian

Post-War Cleanup

Disposition of the Plunder

The Request of Re'uven and Gad

Prophetic Pictures in this Week's Torah Portion

Messiah in the Torah Parashah

Prophetic End Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah

Vows Made by Women

30:2 When a man makes a vow to Yahuwah or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.
3 "When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to Yahuwah or obligates herself by a pledge
4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.
5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; Yahuwah will release her because her father has forbidden her.
6 "If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself
7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.
8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and Yahuwah will release her.
9 "Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.
10 "If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath
11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand.
12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and Yahuwah will release her.
13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.
14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.
15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he is responsible for her guilt."
16 These are the regulations Yahuwah gave Mosheh concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house.

These chukim (statutes, prescribed things) are the most powerful statement in the Torah of Mosheh regarding the authority of a man over a woman.  These laws indicate that a man has legal control over his wife, over his unmarried daughter living in her father's home.  He has the authority to confirm or to nullify any oath or promise made by his wife or his daughter.

Note well that "this is what Yahuwah commands" (see 30:1).  This is not a chauvinistic attempt of man to have dominance over a woman.  Yahuwah has commanded it to be this way.

First, by way of contrast to the instructions which follow about women taking vows, this is the instruction for a man taking a vow.  A man must always keep his word and his vow.  There is never a circumstance in which a man does not have to keep a vow.  Because a man is directly accountable to Elohim, he must be careful to speak responsibly.

The Torah teaches the sons of Yisrael to take all of their vows in his name.

Fear Yahuwah your Elohim, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. (Devarim 6:13)

Fear Yahuwah your Elohim and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. (Devarim 10:20)

Those who take their vows in the name of Yahuwah are considered to be among the people whom Yahuwah calls his own:

But they must carefully learn to follow the religious practices of my people. Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the elohim Baal. But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, "As surely as Yahuwah lives, I swear." If they do these things, then they will be included among the people I call my own.  But I will completely uproot and destroy any of those nations that will not pay heed,'" says Yahuwah (Yirmyahu 12:16,17).

So, because all vows are to be taken in his name, anytime a vow is broken, the transgressor is profaning the name of Yahuwah.

But there is also an explicit command in the Torah not to swear falsely:

You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your Elohim. I am Yahuwah (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 19:12).

Swearing falsely is taking a vow which you do not intend to fulfill.  Thus, to break a vow damages the very character and reputation of the Almighty.

Every vow taken is required to be kept and fulfilled.  The Torah is adamant about this:

When you make a vow to Yahuwah your Elohim you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he will surely hold you accountable as a sinner (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 23:21).

And in the passage before us (Bamidbar 30:2), men are required to always keep their vows:

When a man makes a vow to Yahuwah or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

There is never any reason or excuse for a man to break his oath.  He must keep them all.  But, although men are always required to fulfill their every vow, woman are not always required to keep their vows.  We shall examine a few cases of this in the sections that come next.

Bamidbar 30:3-5 describes a scenario in which an exception is made to the law that all vows must be fulfilled.  The situation described here is of a young woman, an unmarried woman, still living in her father's home.  This woman can make any vow or pledge or promise she wants.  But her father is able to nullify her vow if he so chooses, when he hears about her vow.

There is no time line given as to when this option expires.  Torah only says that when he hears about her vow, he has veto power over her promise and can therefore nullify any pledge she has made.  When her father forbids her to keep this vow, Yahuwah releases her from that vow.

This veto power the father has over his unmarried daughter who still lives under his roof surely indicates that he has authority over his daughter.  Yahuwah considers his word to be the final say in the matter of her taking a vow.  If her father permits the vow to stand, it stands.  But if her father forbids the vow, it is rescinded.  She then does not have to keep the vow.  In fact, she is forbidden to do the thing she promised in the vow, because her father has forbidden it.

Why does her father have this authority over her word?  Clearly because the unmarried daughter living in her father's house is under her father's authority.  He is her head.  Her word only stands or falls on her father's confirmation or nullification of her promise.

The next case is that of an unmarried woman living in her father's house who makes a vow.  This time nothing is said about whether her father heard of her vow or not.  But she then marries, and her new husband has now become her head.  Now her husband has veto power over her vow when he hears about the vow she has made, even the vow she made before he married her.  When her husband hears of the vow that she made before she became married to him, he has the authority to nullify her vow.  And when he nullifies the vow, Yahuwah releases her from the vow.

However, if her husband hears about the vow by which she obligated herself but says nothing about it, he is confirming the vow she made by his silence.  The status of the oath from Yahuwah's point of view is dependent upon her husband either confirming or nullifying her oaths or promises.

Just as the first case when the vow of an unmarried woman can be nullified by her father, when this woman marries, her husband takes over the headship authority over this woman and has veto power over her promises.  It is clear from Scripture that a husband is head over his wife, so it should be equally obvious that the father of an unmarried woman is head over her for the same reasons.  This headship relationship a father and a husband has over his unmarried daughter or his wife (as the case may be) is rooted in the creation order which we detailed earlier in this study.

The third case is that of a married woman who takes a vow.  As we would suspect from the previous case, the husband has full veto power over his wife's vows, pledges and promises.  If, when her husband hears about her oath, he disapproves of this vow, then at his word her pledge is cancelled.  Again, this authority the husband has over any promise or any oath or pledge a woman makes clearly indicates and demonstrates his headship over his wife and her submissive status to her husband.

This account goes into more detail about the time frame in which the husband has to act to either confirm or nullify his wife's pledge.  Here, it tells us that if he says nothing about the pledge his wife has made "from day to day" then he affirms the oath by his silence.  The Hebrew literally says "from day to day," so it indicates that the man has but a short time to make the decision to nullify.  He has enough time to consider the possible consequences of her oath and it seems that he has at least a day or two to decide.  The exact amount of time is not specified, but he does have some time as the phrase "from day to day" would suggest.  But if he takes more than a reasonable amount of time and remains silent, then the oath is confirmed by his silence.

The fact that the father and husband of a woman has the legal right to confirm or nullify anything the woman promises or pledges in a vow suggests the man's authority over the woman in the family and in the community.  These examples from the Torah support Paul's assertion that the Torah teaches that a woman must be submissive and therefore silent in the congregation.

War Against Midian

31:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh,
2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the sons of Yisrael. After that, you will be gathered to your people."
3 So Mosheh said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out Yahuwah's vengeance on them.
4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Yisrael."
5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Yisrael.
6 Mosheh sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
7 They fought against Midian, as Yahuwah commanded Mosheh, and killed every man.
8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba-- the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
9 The sons of Yisrael captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.
10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.
11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,
12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Mosheh and Eleazar the priest and the Yisraelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

Post-War Cleanup

13 Mosheh, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.
14 Mosheh was angry with the officers of the army-- the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-- who returned from the battle.
15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them.
16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the sons of Yisrael away from Yahuwah in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck Yahuwah's people.
17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,
18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
19 "All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives.
20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood."
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the requirement of the law that Yahuwah gave Mosheh:
22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead
23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.
24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp."

Disposition of the Plunder

25 Yahuwah said to Mosheh,
26 "You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured.
27 Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community.
28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for Yahuwah one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats.
29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as Yahuwah's part.
30 From the sons of Yisrael' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of Yahuwah's tabernacle."
31 So Mosheh and Eleazar the priest did as Yahuwah commanded Mosheh.
32 The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep,
33 72,000 cattle,
34 61,000 donkeys
35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.
36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep,
37 of which the tribute for Yahuwah was 675;
38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for Yahuwah was 72;
39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for Yahuwah was 61;
40 16,000 people, of which the tribute for Yahuwah was 32.
41 Mosheh gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as Yahuwah's part, as Yahuwah commanded Mosheh.
42 The half belonging to the sons of Yisrael, which Mosheh set apart from that of the fighting men--
43 the community's half-- was 337,500 sheep,
44 36,000 cattle,
45 30,500 donkeys
46 and 16,000 people.
47 From the sons of Yisrael' half, Mosheh selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as Yahuwah commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of Yahuwah's tabernacle.
48 Then the officers who were over the units of the army-- the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-- went to Mosheh
49 and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.
50 So we have brought as an offering to Yahuwah the gold articles each of us acquired-- armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces-- to make atonement for ourselves before Yahuwah."
51 Mosheh and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold-- all the crafted articles.
52 All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Mosheh and Eleazar presented as a gift to Yahuwah weighed 16,750 shekels.
53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.
54 Mosheh and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the sons of Yisrael before Yahuwah.

The Request of Re'uven and Gad

32:1 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock.
2 So they came to Mosheh and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said,
3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon--
4 the land Yahuwah subdued before the people of Yisrael-- are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.
5 If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Yarden."
6 Mosheh said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here?
7 Why do you discourage the sons of Yisrael from going over into the land Yahuwah has given them?
8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.
9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the sons of Yisrael from entering the land Yahuwah had given them.
10 Yahuwah's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath:
11 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Mitzrayim will see the land I promised on oath to Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'acov--
12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Yahusha son of Nun, for they followed Yahuwah wholeheartedly.'
13 Yahuwah's anger burned against Yisrael and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.
14 "And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making Yahuwah even more angry with Yisrael.
15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."
16 Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children.
17 But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the sons of Yisrael until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return to our homes until every Yisraelite has received his inheritance.
19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."
20 Then Mosheh said to them, "If you will do this-- if you will arm yourselves before Yahuwah for battle,
21 and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before Yahuwah until he has driven his enemies out before him--
22 then when the land is subdued before Yahuwah, you may return and be free from your obligation to Yahuwah and to Yisrael. And this land will be your possession before Yahuwah.
23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against Yahuwah; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.
24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Mosheh, "We your servants will do as our Yahuwah commands.
26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.
27 But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before Yahuwah, just as our Yahuwah says."
28 Then Mosheh gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Yahusha son of Nun and to the family heads of the Yisraelite tribes.
29 He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before Yahuwah, then when the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as their possession.
30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan."
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what Yahuwah has said.
32 We will cross over before Yahuwah into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan."
33 Then Mosheh gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Yoseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan-- the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.
37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim,
38 as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there.
40 So Mosheh gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there.
41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.
42 And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.

Messiah in the Torah Parashah

Prophetic End Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah